Many of us live in fear.  We hide our concerns yet internally reflect, “In the event of a catastrophe, I could not survive.”

If I am divorced, if someone dies, if I lose my job, if my child is a prodigal son or daughter, if I get cancer or have a heart attack, I could not bear it. I have no reserves, no Plan B that will withstand what I fear.

Yet if we live long enough, catastrophes happen.

 Does living in fear help us deal better with trouble?

No. We can never prepare for the exact trial we will face. Worrying about everything that could happen consumes all the energy we have for a productive life. Anxiety makes every battle worse and harder.

Think of Bible figures who found themselves in trouble — in the lions’ den, the fiery furnace, the pit; a young woman pregnant and unmarried, a son crucified, a disciple exiled. Scripture is full of apparent tragedy and fatal finality God reversed to bring salvation.

God has the last word, always. His power to boomerang or reverse what humans meant for evil and use it for good has saved his people (Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20).

As we walk with God and learn to trust him, it is helpful to consider:

God may see situations differently than we do.

How can we think like God? Impossible. Yet as we study his word, we see God act decisively to accomplish his will. His acts may be quick or “in the fullness of time” — woven through generations.

His purpose will not be thwarted (Job 42:2). The depth and riches of his knowledge are inscrutable, unfathomable (Romans 11:33). His eyes constantly roam over the earth to support fully those who are fully his (2 Chronicles 16:9). 

God works through people of his choosing.

If someone tells us they are God’s chosen, we are skeptical. In his sovereignty, God may choose the humble, less-famous person to carry his word and establish his work (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). God uses people who bring glory to him. He uses people with pure hearts who are fit vessels to carry the gospel. He uses people he can work with, people who can reach others with humility and transforming love.

On the other hand, the Bible tells us God used a foreign king like Pharoah “to save many people.” (Exodus 6:1) Notice that God’s mighty power to use Pharoah is explained by God himself.

That gives me security and hope in trusting him because I know he has perfect timing in every situation and the mighty power to act.

God does not make deals.

Christians love formulas. If we do this, God will do that.

Playing “let’s make a deal” to solve a problem is the opposite of trusting him. His ways are higher than ours, with more dimension than we can imagine. Over time and place, over people and powers, throughout the universe, he reigns, as if he has “pitched a tent for the sun” (Psalm 19). The heavens declare his glory, which no human will share.

The Bible shows us principles to follow in relationships, missions and the church. But God blesses, as the wind of the Spirit blows where it will. Walking with God, we learn what a privilege it is to experience him and be included in his work. Anything God does is wonderfully great, and to be in his service is the significance of life, the abundance of life Christ came to give us.

Worshipping him in praise and giving, through ministry like feeding the hungry, praying for the sick, accepting the stranger, washing feet, sharing the gospel. The highest tasks in the kingdom are things we can all do. Male or female, old or young, educated or not, God our Father uses everyone in his family. What a beautiful thing that is! Acts of loving service define and strengthen us, the church, and populate heaven.

Fear must never distract us from our calling.

God’s word, his very presence in Christ, is fully sufficient. He will speak to you, for you and act on your behalf. Give him your whole heart, even the paralyzing and embarrassing fear.

Ask him to reveal himself in your life, regardless of your expectations for restoration. Ask him to bring glory to himself. That is a prayer the creator answers because he loves his world.

I am a cancer survivor. God has the final say as to what my life and death will be. He leads, as I follow, for whatever days remain. That is what his lordship means as we face the future together — with more illness likely.

Catastrophic derailment for him is just another term for redemption opportunity. What equations in life that he gives us, he will solve.

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, my oncologist said: “You do not worry about this cancer. Let me worry about it!”

My job was to accept chemo and radiation and follow her lead in the treatment plan. God is like that doctor. He tells us to live, but not to worry. Leave things with him. He bears the burdens of his children. Our job description is obedience to him.

Soon I will have another surgery for a different kind of cancer.  Fear is real. I feel it, but I will not pitch a tent there and move in. That is a choice.

God’s grace, his presence and powerful help, will be enough (2 Corinthians 12:9). The thorn, the tumor even, in my flesh connects me to my healer, and teaches the lesson of being sustained by Christ in the Spirit. I pray I can stand firm and steady in the love of God until he calls my name.

Ruth Cook is a longtime Texas Baptist. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Legends have a way of capturing our imagination. Whether it’s King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone or Prometheus stealing fire from the gods, legends often speak to our deepest longings for justice, for truth, for grace. Many legends may be built around a core of truth, but they’re usually treated as something separate from history.

Some critics argue John 7:53–8:11 is just a legend.

Though this passage isn’t found in some of the earliest biblical manuscripts, church history suggests it was indeed part of the original oral tradition.

Papias, a disciple of the Apostle John, references the account. Augustine even suggested the story was removed from some early copies because it could be misused to excuse immorality. But far from contradicting Jesus’ teachings, this scene fits perfectly with his pattern of mercy, justice and heart-piercing truth.

A trap, not a trial

Jesus is teaching at the temple when the religious leaders interrupt, dragging in a woman caught in adultery. According to Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22, adultery was a capital offense requiring the execution of both the man and the woman. But the man is conspicuously absent here.

The scribes and Pharisees aren’t interested in justice. They’re interested in discrediting Jesus.

If Jesus sides with them, he violates Roman law, which reserved capital punishment for Roman authorities. If he lets her go, they can accuse him of rejecting the law of Moses. It’s a cunning trap.

Instead of engaging, Jesus stoops and writes in the dirt with his finger. That same divine finger that carved the Ten Commandments now scribbles on the temple floor.

Sin’s seriousness

As they press Jesus, he finally answers: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

In one sentence, Jesus both upholds the law and exposes the hypocrisy of its enforcers. He does not minimize the sin. He doesn’t dispute her guilt. But he forces them to consider their own moral failings.

In our modern context, we often echo the Pharisees. We judge the drunkard while ignoring our own secret vices. We criticize someone’s broken family while ours teeters on the brink. We call for accountability in others while we make excuses for ourselves. Jesus’ call is not to overlook sin, but to examine our own hearts before we condemn someone else.

Grace that melts stones

Jesus stoops again to write. And one by one, the accusers leave—starting with the oldest. The word used in verse 9, “heard,” implies more than just sound. It suggests they listened, deeply, and were convicted. Something in what he wrote pierced through their defenses. The would-be executioners walked away, each recognizing their own unworthiness.

Now only Jesus and the woman remain.

He asks her: “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, Lord,” she replies.

And Jesus says: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

It’s a breathtaking moment of grace, but it’s not license. Jesus doesn’t excuse her actions. He calls her to change. He gives her not just forgiveness, but an invitation to a transformed life.

Mercy and righteousness hand in hand

This moment illustrates the perfect balance of Jesus’ heart. He takes sin seriously, but he also lavishes grace. Sin must be confronted. But it must be confronted with the goal of restoration, not ruin. Jesus didn’t offer the woman cheap grace. He gave her costly grace, the kind that calls for repentance, renewal and a new way of life.

We often think of God as either just or merciful. In truth, he is both. His justice demands sin be paid for. His mercy offers that payment in the person of Jesus. This is the core of the gospel: sin is real, judgment is deserved, but forgiveness is freely offered.

Living the message

1. Choose forgiveness over judgment.

We all have been wronged in some way. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we condone sin, nor does it erase the pain we’ve experienced. But it does mean we release others in certain situations from the penalty we believe they owe us.

In some cases, the penalty is still due, and it’s not necessarily unforgiving to require it. Forgiving some egregious violations is not releasing from penalty, but is acknowledging the humanity in the one who has caused the harm and letting go of hate or vengeance toward that person.

Jesus told parables about this very principle. In Matthew 18, a servant forgiven of a massive debt turns around and demands repayment from someone who owes him a small amount. The king is furious. Why? Because mercy demands we show mercy in return.

If we’ve been forgiven much—and we have—then we also must forgive much.

2. Commit to righteous living.

Jesus didn’t say, “Go and sin whenever you feel like it.” He said, “Go and sin no more.”

True forgiveness leads to changed behavior. It doesn’t produce perfection overnight, but it does point us in a new direction. Living righteously is not how we earn forgiveness. It’s how we express gratitude for it. When we ignore righteous living after receiving grace, we devalue that grace.

3. Honestly evaluate your own life.

We are quick to spot the speck in our neighbor’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own. Before we pick up a stone, we need to examine our motives. Are we acting in truth and love? Or are we justifying our own superiority?

This passage in John is a challenge to religious people—those of us who think we know better. The Pharisees knew the law better than anyone. But they used it to condemn, not to restore. Jesus didn’t dismiss the law; he fulfilled it with love and truth.

4. Be a community of mercy.

Too many people have walked away from churches not because they rejected Jesus, but because they never encountered his mercy in his people. We cannot afford to be known as stone-throwers. We must be known as grace-givers. That doesn’t mean we ignore sin. We deal with it in love, pointing people to the One who forgives and transforms.

James 2:13 says: “Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” That’s not just a biblical truth. It’s a call to action.

Drop the stones

As we reflect on this powerful scene, we are left with a personal question: Are we ready to drop our stones?

Are we willing to stop condemning and start forgiving? Are we ready to let grace do its work in our lives and in the lives of others?

Take a moment. Reflect. Confess. Let go. Drop your stones—and walk forward in grace.

Benjamin Karner is senior pastor of Pine Forest Baptist Church in Vidor. The views expressed in this opinion article are those solely of the author.

I’ve been a pastor more than 30 years. I work in hospice and founded Griefbites.org.

I thought I’d seen everything when it comes to grief—until recently. A bereaved mother showed me an app where she “talks” to her deceased daughter. For $15 a month, this AI chatbot mimics her daughter’s voice, remembers their inside jokes and responds as if the girl never died.

“When I’m talking to it,” she said, “it’s like she’s still here.”

Welcome to “griefbots”—AI systems that simulate conversations with our deceased loved ones. Companies like HereAfter AI are turning grief into a subscription service, promising digital resurrection for the price of a Netflix membership.

As Baptist Standard readers wrestle with technology’s role in faith and life, we need to examine this troubling trend through biblical eyes.

The technology behind digital ‘resurrection’

These aren’t simple recordings or chatbots. Using the same AI technology as ChatGPT, companies collect a deceased person’s texts, emails, social media posts and family questionnaires to create sophisticated digital personalities. The AI generates new responses that sound authentically like the deceased person, even discussing events after their death.

Most disturbing? Cambridge University researchers discovered these companies A/B test different personality versions to maximize “user engagement”—essentially optimizing the digital dead for subscription retention.

Digital golden calves

This reminds me of Exodus 32, when the Israelites created the golden calf. They weren’t trying to worship a different god. They wanted a manageable, controllable version of the divine that provided immediate comfort. The calf reflected their desires, not God’s reality.

Griefbots function similarly as digital totems. They don’t preserve who our loved ones actually were—complex, flawed humans with difficult moments. Instead, they create idealized versions that tell us what we want to hear. The cranky grandfather becomes perpetually wise. The distant parent finally offers constant affirmation. The troubled teenager is forever at peace.

This isn’t memory; it’s fantasy. And while comforting short-term, it prevents the hard work of accepting our loved ones as they truly were, complications and all.

The danger to children

If this technology concerns me for adults, it terrifies me regarding children. MIT researcher Sherry Turkle found kids readily develop deep emotional attachments to AI companions, seeing them as “alive enough” to warrant genuine care.

How do we teach resurrection hope to a 6-year-old who can pull up grandma on an iPad anytime? How do we explain that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” when technology offers immediate artificial presence?

Children need to learn faith that can wrestle with life’s mysteries, not technological bypasses around spiritual development.

Monetizing grief

These companies profit from our deepest pain, turning mourning into market opportunity. The subscription model creates perverse incentives. They make money when users stay stuck in grief rather than processing loss healthily.

Traditional pastoral care aims to help people find integrated grief where loss becomes part of life’s story without dominating it. But griefbot companies succeed financially when customers remain emotionally dependent on digital simulations.

What Scripture teaches about grief

The Bible offers a different path. Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, even knowing he would raise him (John 11:35). The Psalms contain raw lament. Ecclesiastes reminds us there’s “a time to mourn” (3:4).

Scripture presents grief as serving divine purposes: honoring relationships, driving us toward God’s comfort, creating empathy and pointing toward resurrection hope. Technology that short-circuits this process interferes with spiritual formation.

Paul calls death “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26)—real, final, devastating, yet ultimately defeated through Christ. Griefbots offer a technological bypass around death’s finality, promising continued relationship without resurrection, presence without the parousia.

A better way forward

Rather than embracing sophisticated digital idolatry, churches must offer authentic alternatives:

• Comprehensive bereavement ministry extending beyond the funeral.
• Intergenerational storytelling that preserves memory naturally.
• Community-based grief support replacing isolated digital interaction.
• Memorial practices that honor the dead without claiming ongoing conversation.

The deepest human longings can’t be satisfied by even the most sophisticated technology. They can be met only by the God who knows what it means to lose someone you love and promises one day, every tear will be wiped away.

We don’t grieve as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), but neither do we pretend death isn’t real. True resurrection hope acknowledges loss while trusting God’s ultimate victory—not through artificial simulation, but through genuine reunion in his eternal kingdom.

In a culture increasingly willing to substitute digital simulation for spiritual reality, Christian communities must become more skilled at walking through the valley of the shadow of death with authentic hope, not technological totems.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. At the end of the day, grieving hearts need the comfort of the Holy Spirit, authentic community support and genuine resurrection hope—irreplaceable gifts no algorithm can provide.

Bobby Bressman has served as a pastor for more than 35 years, works in hospice leadership and founded Griefbites.org. He has walked with hundreds of families through loss and regularly speaks and writes about faith, grief renewal and church revitalization. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

As I packed up my office after 20 years of work in English-as-a-Second-Language, I couldn’t help remembering the many immigrant children I have known and served.

Decades ago when I began working, we taught students from Korea, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan. But in the past few years, most students came from Mexico, Venezuela, other places in Latin America and a few from India.

We never have asked if a student was documented, but we have taught them all with the same commitment and procedures.

Challenges of new beginnings

First thing every year, we labeled the door to our classroom as “ESL”—English-as-a-Second-Language—so students could find their home base in the school. We had a poster stating, “EVERYONE is welcome!” And we permitted no bullying or racial discrimination, which occasionally surfaced in the classroom.

Students were assigned to share about their homes and communities in their home country. Many had left behind grandparents and cousins they may never see again. We realized many students began their new life in the United States with great loss and fear, especially if they had fled war or threatening gangs.

A couple of students said they witnessed murder. One boy had walked across a vast desert to catch a boat to the Caribbean islands. Students said they entered the country with a parent, older sibling, or aunt or uncle and in cars and buses or on planes. Often, they traveled to several countries before entering the United States.

It is usual for us to provide backpacks and school supplies for our students. When parents and guardians do not speak English, it is almost impossible to communicate a school supply list.

Most students receive free lunch and are assigned a bus to ride to and from school. Very few immigrant families have two cars. Often, mom is home with younger siblings, depending on bus rides for her older children.

Living in a big city like Irving is a challenge when mastering a school bus route, learning one’s apartment address, how to cross busy streets, and handle American money—all the things that are part of feeling safe in a giant Metroplex. English-as-a-Second-Language teachers are used to worrying if a new student would get home smoothly the first few days of enrollment.

Differences and similarities

Cultural differences, as well as foreign languages, are assumed among immigrant children.

Students may find our American lunches of burgers and pizza unappealing and prefer food brought from home. One Japanese boy brought his lunch of rice and dried fish every day wrapped in silk. Teasing a child about his food is a sad but typical occurrence, and we focus on acceptance and diversity.

Clothes for immigrant children can be unique as well. Clothes may be made from fabric woven in another part of the world, and girls may wear pants under dresses or headwraps for modesty and religion. However, most students wear American fashion, team jerseys and international designer clothes like one would find in an airport. Students from large cities know American styles.

Children all over the world are unique individuals. Some are painfully shy. I have had some with panic disorder and psychosomatic illnesses. Stress is very real.

Other students act out, speaking and yelling too loudly in class, using bad language in their native tongue and in English. Some are influenced by having seen violence and possibly sex workers in their personal history. Much depends on prior learning, developmental skills like self-control, diligence, and determination that come from experiences in childhood and the family.

Religion and diversity

Some families are strong and close. Other families have been split apart. Some are religious, often Catholic or Muslim, but many children new to the United States do not know the meaning of “God” or “church.”

Public schools teach Christianity as a world religion along with Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. Often, immigrant children show no recognition of any of these groups and are unaware of churches in the United States.

But you never know. We once had the immigrant son of a fundamentalist missionary from Latin America who told teachers every class period we were “unbiblical” and going to hell. Immigrants reflect the world and every kind of thinking.

When students make friends with other races of people in school, we feel successful as teachers.

However, people who speak the same native language, like the same music and entertainment, and have the same mores congregate together. They create their own group norms and rules, to the extent it can be difficult to influence the group in school. I think this leads to many of the present discipline problems we have in schools. Schools need administrators from all people groups.

Strengths of immigration

Legal immigration always will be with us, and it should be.

Immigration has its obstacles, yet the rewards of living in the United States are tremendous and will be more fully realized by students as they get older.

Being bilingual in the United States will be a strong advantage for today’s students. Learning English is a difficult task that develops and sharpens cognitive skills. Acclimating to another culture demands personal flexibility. These are benefits to the immigrant student.

Public schools are needed to meet the needs of immigrant students and families. Public schools serve people who cannot pay private tuition and may need remedial education. The need for quality, free, public education in our country is a deep need that cuts to the heart of all we stand for and will build us into what we become.

Our Christian responsibility

Christians must lead the way in uniting the people of the world in the pursuit of excellence in learning and productivity. We must teach and model democracy, justice and religious freedom. Most important, we can love and accept one another.

Schools are a miniature society. We teach children how to respect each other, even while we grow and achieve together. We have all the problems and victories of a large family.

This is not the time to lessen our commitment to public school or the children who will stand at its door in August. Children will arrive at our doors fearful, with no supplies, looking for lunch and a ride home. They will come seeking friends and parental figures. They come to find out who they are and what their future will be.

What will we have waiting for them?

Ruth Cook is a longtime Texas Baptist. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

I love Baylor University like I love a member of my own family. And this week, it felt like a family member got a DUI and hurt someone. You don’t stop loving them—but the pain is real, and the failure has to be named.

When I talk to people about Baylor, I often say it’s one of the only truly Christian universities that doesn’t lead with fear or rigidity. It’s not like most Bible colleges where everything is a rule, and every rule is a dare. When something is off limits, young people will run straight at it.

But at Baylor, faith isn’t enforced through shame. It’s lived out in a culture of trust, curiosity and grace. And what I’ve always loved is that Baylor never seemed afraid of science.

You could wrestle with the evidence around evolution and other scientific questions, and it didn’t have to threaten your faith. That integration—faith and intellect, belief and exploration—is what made Baylor special to me.

That’s why the recent decision to rescind a research grant from the Baugh Foundation to the Diana Garland School of Social Work hit so hard. This grant was intended to fund research into how religious communities—often unknowingly—have contributed to mental health struggles among LGBTQ+ individuals and how churches can play a role in healing rather than harming.

It wasn’t some progressive campaign. It was pastoral. It was humble. It was meant to help.

Love above all

Years ago, I was at the Sundance Film Festival guest teaching a film class with Fuller Theological Seminary. One evening, I found myself in a packed Sundance theater watching For the Bible Tells Me So, a documentary about LGBTQ+ individuals and their families—many of them deeply rooted in Christian traditions.

The director was there. So were several of the families featured in the film. We watched it all together. And we wept together.

The stories in that film were devastating. Again and again, we heard from people who had been told by their churches and their parents, “If you’re going to be gay, you’re dead to us.”

Families cut them off. Churches exiled them. They were written out of the lives of the people who once claimed to love them most. And that is the ultimate form of harm. It’s captured in one father’s desperate prayer from the film, “God, please don’t let my son grow up to be a faggot.”

That kind of hatred and fear lived in the hearts of many churches—including churches I’ve pastored, and likely many represented by those who signed the letter to rescind this grant. I don’t say that to assign blame, but to acknowledge the reality that we’ve all ministered among people carrying wounds from misguided beliefs. Some endured conversion therapy. Others were excluded. Most have at least one family member who was harmed. The damage is real, and it’s still with us. Which is why this kind of research doesn’t threaten us—it helps us. It tells the truth so that we can love better.

So why oppose a research project aimed at healing? Why not ask: “What do we need to learn so that we never do that again?”

If you know that harm has been done in your own church, then research designed to help you love better is not a threat. It’s a gift.

No matter where you land theologically, we have to acknowledge this truth: When exclusion leads to despair, when it pushes people into isolation and shame, we have failed in our primary calling, which is to love.

Courage to love and grow

The kind of research that was being funded by the Baugh Foundation was aimed at addressing that failure with humility and grace.

It asked: “How can we do better?”

That’s not a threat to faith. It’s a reflection of it.

I want to believe Baylor can do better. I believe our university has the capacity to model a way forward that holds both faith and compassion, biblical conviction and scientific insight.

But it will take courage, especially in a political and cultural climate where fear and outrage too often lead the conversation.

To the pastors and leaders who signed the letter opposing this research, I invite you, respectfully, to watch For the Bible Tells Me So. Sit with those stories. Ask yourself if our role as spiritual leaders is to build walls or to open doors.

You don’t have to change your theology to care deeply about people. But if we claim to follow Jesus, we are called to love and love requires listening, humility and a willingness to grow.

To President Linda Livingstone, I still believe in your leadership and your heart for this university. You have the opportunity to help Baylor reflect the best of its mission—informed by faith, guided by truth and committed to human dignity.

It’s not too late to right this wrong. It’s not too late to show the world that Baylor is a place where hard questions are not feared but embraced in the light of grace.

This moment is about more than a grant. It’s about who we are becoming. I’m grieving, but I’m not giving up. There’s too much at stake.

Chris Seay is the lead pastor of Ecclesia Houston. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The 11th paragraph was edited after the article initially was posted.

God loves us very much, and it takes a lifetime to understand what that means.

In my later years at age 72, I am just beginning to form a rough image of his devoted, enduring fatherhood, and his pleasure and joy in his children—in you and me personally.

How humbling it is to be loved by God and how much I have yet to learn.

In the past days, our hearts have been wrenched over deaths in the Kerrville-area floods. We are bereaved, questioning, and some of us may well be angry. We are all those messy things God wants us to bring to him as we sit at his feet or crawl onto his lap for comfort.

God is Abba, Father, Daddy to us now more than ever. There is no shame in needing him.

We Texans are proud people who like to feel in control. If we have wealth and power and all that goes with that, we may feel entitled to control our world. Then along comes a storm, and it floods the banks of what a storm should do and sweeps away people we love most.

We see we never had any control over nature, storm warnings or meteorologists, nor life nor death. We are not safe. Yet there is this: Lack of safety drives us to God and onto his lap to learn how to keep living.

We can rest in the Lord

When I had cancer five years ago, and the cancer had spread a bit, I learned to lie on my bed and visualize God holding me. His warm presence seemed to cover me, and I learned to relax my tense muscles and breathe deeper and more normally, sometimes falling into needed sleep.

I could do this because I knew God wanted to comfort me as a parent, that he waited patiently for me simply to accept his care, to seek him with my whole heart.

From Scripture, I knew he would hide and shelter me in battle and preserve my life. He perhaps would sing over me and hold my tears and prayers in his bottle. I knew to come boldly to him for help, and that he was suffering with me.

It is God’s glory, his desire and joy, to comfort all who come to him in faith. We do not have to be ashamed of needing him. For when we are weak, we are strong because we depend on him.

That too is his glory, just as depending on him is our healing. All this works together as God works in all things for good, according to his eternal plan.

It is OK to ask questions

Still, God knows we have questions. Yes, answers are in the Bible, but not everyone can easily pull together all the verses that talk about free will, sin and choice that explain the fall of man.

It is important to mention in the wake of the Kerr County flooding, all creation—nature, the cosmos—presently is in bondage to sin and will rage on, bringing disaster and death until the Father brings all things to conclusion under his authority and creates the new heaven and earth.

God both is permitting natural disaster and at the same time protectively holding on to his children. That is a tension we must live with temporarily in our human vulnerability.

While his intervention in the physical world may seem limited, his intervention in our spiritual well-being is as limitless as heaven and eternity.

When we are suffering, it helps to remember:

• Suffering will not last forever.
• We do not suffer alone. We suffer in fellowship with Jesus and fellow believers.
• The Spirit intercedes for us, crying out to the Father, even if we have no words and cannot pray.
• We do not suffer without hope if we are believers. Jesus has prepared a place for us and our loved ones, and he personally will bring us to that dwelling place. Separation from loved ones is temporary.

Our present suffering is nothing compared to the glory to come.

Suffering and the work of God in his people

Recently, I read about how the people of God, the church, moves forward.

Don’t we move forward when people turn to God, when they humble themselves and seek the face of God, when they band together and help each other and the lost? Don’t we move forward in times of suffering?

God does not cause or send our suffering, but he does work in our suffering to make us like Christ. We can become ambassadors for Christ when we move out of our pain to join Jesus in his work of healing hurts.

God will complete what he began

We may see God dimly now, like a preliminary outline of all he is, but he is the designer who draws the big picture. He has the master plan. He holds the pieces of our lives and will fit them together.

We can trust him in suffering. He is completely faithful to complete every work he began, and he will complete it with great love and healing.

Ruth Cook is a longtime Texas Baptist. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

The IRS is reversing its decades-old position prohibiting pastors from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. On one hand, I celebrate the fact the government is removing itself from what clergy may and may not say. That’s a good thing, in my mind.

That being said, I think the IRS rule change is going to create a massive mess for clergy and churches. I see just a few issues on the horizon.

1. Political Action Committees

I imagine churches and pastors will become the targets of Political Action Committees and political donors, particularly in tight elections.

Think about this: Elections in battleground states are razor thin. Politicians raise enormous amounts of money in order to flood the airwaves and social media with ads. If pastors now can endorse candidates, I imagine PACs will approach pastors and churches and offer significant “donations” to the church if the pastor will officially endorse a candidate from the pulpit.

Will those donations come with other stipulations? Will churches become dependent upon PAC donations? Will future donations be tied to the support of questionable policies?

Do we really want the influence of secular political PACs on the pulpits of churches across America? This will not open politicians to religious influence. It opens congregations and pastors to political influence. We need pastors—not influencers—in our pulpits, and this will push pastors even further towards being an influencer.

2. Taxing churches

This change likely will be used to lobby for the taxation of churches—and you really don’t want that.

I know many of my atheist and nonreligious friends initially will disagree, but hear me out. If churches can be taxed, then they can be lobbied on the basis of having taxes raised and lowered. That creates a nihilistic political reality that benefits no one and makes absolute terrible bedfellows of politicians and churches.

Beyond that, most churches are very small and likely would be forced to close if they had to pay taxes, and the government has no plan on how to replace the community services most churches provide. I am convinced taxing churches would be a net negative.

3. Dividing the church

Endorsing candidates from the pulpit will serve only to divide local churches.

I can speak intelligently only about the churches I have pastored, but none of those churches were politically homogenous.

The most recent church I pastored was in Houston and certainly contained members across the political spectrum. To have endorsed a candidate officially from the pulpit would have divided the church and many members would have left.

I learned this firsthand many years ago. I invited a local politician to the congregation to share his faith story. He went off script and started spouting talking points. I got all sorts of emails … and all sorts of families left the church.

Bottom line: Churches are one of the few remaining spaces where people of different ideologies come together in voluntary community, and making the church an explicitly political zone will push out those who have different political perspectives.

4. Regretting later

Endorsing a candidate may seem like a good idea … until it suddenly doesn’t.

How long before the candidate you endorse does something in opposition to the commands of Jesus? Given the state of modern politics, I’d guess less than a week. When that happens, we confuse those who trust clergy to hear from God.

5. Added pressure on pastors

Pastors don’t need the added pressure of being asked to endorse a candidate. I know this to be the case, because I faced such pressure prior to this change by the IRS.

It will be problematic enough with PACs potentially bringing outside influence on churches through donations, but if pastors have significant members on opposing sides of the political divide pressuring them to endorse different candidates, there is not a winning scenario for the pastor.

Trust me, pastoring is stressful enough as it is without pressuring clergy to choose which candidate to endorse, much less choosing between church members.

6. Christians in both major parties

Despite what you may have heard, there are faithful Christians in both major political parties.

I know, I know. You’ve heard this message from me before. But I think it’s important to say it again.

I’m seeing folks on the right saying Democrats are “godless secularists” and folks on the left saying Republicans are “religious hypocrites.” Good times.

Yes, I’m sure there are enough godless secularists and religious hypocrites to go around. But I know faithful believers in both parties.

My Democratic friends are Democrats because they care deeply about things like care for the poor, and they believe Jesus commanded his followers to care about those things.

My Republican friends are Republicans because they care deeply about things like reducing abortions and standing for traditional sexual ethics, and they believe Jesus commanded his followers to care about such things.

Oddly enough, I think they both are right, and I think Christians would do well to realize Republicans should care more about the poor and Democrats should care more about ethics surrounding sexuality.

If you think your political party is always right on every issue, then you either are woefully misinformed or (sadly) a willful partisan hack.

7. Citizens of a different kingdom

Churches are members of a different kingdom and should behave as such.

Are politics important? Absolutely. Should Christians be involved? Yes. But let’s maintain the prophetic voice of the church by talking about specific issues from a Christian perspective, not by selling out to a candidate or party.

Our best tools are preaching the truth of Scripture over against the issues of the time, rather than promoting a candidate.

It’s far more effective to promote the way of Jesus. And let’s be honest, if endorsements are allowed, if pastors speak prophetically on a topic, then it likely will be construed as an endorsement of whatever party or candidate supports that particular stance—even if it never was meant to do so.

Steve Bezner, after years as a pastor, is associate professor of pastoral ministry and theology at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. He is the author of Your Jesus Is Too American: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values over the American Dream and publishes on Substack, where this article first appeared and is adapted and republished by permission. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Did you know there are some Christian denominations that keep the Sabbath day over Sunday?

In fact, there are Seventh Day Baptist churches that do so, and it has caused confusion among Christians because they now question themselves about which day Christians should be worshiping.

Some Christians, as Paul said in Galatians, have been ‘bewitched’ (Galatians 3:1) by Sabbath-observant Christians and have left the Sunday-observant church in which they attended for many years.

So, is this important? Does it really matter?

One can say: “Well, at least they still are attending church. What’s the big deal?”

The big deal is it still is causing division in the church.

So, how do we address this issue?

Most would respond, “What does the Bible say?”

That’s not so easy to answer, because if both views are from Bible-believing Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, then why are they coming up with two different answers?

Bible-based arguments

Others, such as the Seventh-day Adventists, argue the Sabbath was a universal law from Genesis.

However, there is no universal law in Genesis to observe the Sabbath. In fact, the entire 50 chapters in Genesis and the first 15 chapters of Exodus—covering an era of 2,500 years—do not have a single reference to observe the Sabbath.

Some will argue, “Doesn’t the Bible say God rested on the seventh day of creation?”

Yes, but there is no command from God to observe that day. The text only mentions God rested on it.

Others will argue, “Didn’t God bless the day and make it holy?”

Yes, but again, there is no command to observe it. Again, from Adam to Moses, not one patriarch observed the Sabbath.

The seventh-day passage is unique because it does not have the phrase, “There was evening and there was morning.”In other words, the never-ending Sabbath day began with Adam and Eve resting with God and walking in his presence in the garden.

So, what does the Bible say?

A biblical argument

The Hebrew word in Genesis 2:2 translated as “rested” is the verb yisbot, which comes from the same root word as the noun shabbat, but it does not refer to the weekly rest commanded by God.

As Hebrew scholar Jeff Benner explains: “The base word is שבת (shavat—the root of the noun shabbat/sabbath) meaning ‘to cease.’ The prefix ו identifies the verb tense as imperfect—will cease—and the subject of the verb as third person, masculine, singular—he will cease. The prefix ו (v) means ‘and,’ but also reverses the tense of the verb—and he ceased.”

So, instead of interpreting ‘rested’ as if God needed to rest, it better translates as, “God ceased from his labor.” In other words, our English word “rested” is the Hebrew verb yisbot—to cease from work. It does not mean the weekly Sabbath rest, because the word Sabbath as a noun is not in the text of Genesis 2:2.

So, if the word “Sabbath” is not in Genesis 2:2, then when and where does it appear?

The first reference to the noun “Sabbath” appears in Exodus 16:23, after Israel had been delivered from Egypt, sometime before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai:

“He said to them, ‘This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So, bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

The Sabbath was given on Mount Sinai, not in Genesis, but in Exodus.

Ezekiel 20:11-12 confirms God’s gift of the Sabbath happened after the exodus from Egypt, not before:

“I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.”

‘To whom was the Sabbath given?’

To whom was the Sabbath given? To Israel, and no other nation, as Exodus 31:12-13 indicates:

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.’”

The Sabbath was a spiritual sign. Circumcision was a physical sign. Had God given this sign to every race of people, then it would not have been a sign of anything.

To observe the Sabbath, one would have to become an Israelite and be under the law. According to the Sabbath law, one must remain indoors on that day. It is a day of absolute rest, not a day of worship, nor religious activity or public meetings, nor sacrifices. One is only to remain indoors and rest.

Exodus 31:14 even mentions death as the penalty for violating the Sabbath.

Those who claim the Sabbath was universal from Genesis have not read Nehemiah 9:13-14:

“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses.”

If the Sabbath was universal from Genesis why would Nehemiah write that God made known to them God’s holy Sabbath through Moses?

Jesus and the Sabbath

God never commanded a single Gentile or Christian to observe the Sabbath.

The seventh-day Sabbath was rest for the body. The Christian Sabbath is rest in your life. The Jews rested in a day. The Christian rests in Jesus, who is Lord of the Sabbath.

The old Sabbath rest was a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17) and has been replaced by a new and superior rest in Jesus (Hebrews 4:1-11).

Cristian Cervantes is a biblical instructor at First Baptist Church in San Antonio and an elementary substitute teacher for San Antonio Independent School District. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Hiawatha once was the leader of the Iroquois Confederacy in North America around the 12th or 14th century. He was a fierce fighter, but his heart longed for peace, which he accomplished to some extent by bringing together the Five Nations to work and trade in harmony.

I knew Hiawatha. Well, not that one, but another man named Hiawatha Scott.

Hiawatha was to semi-professional football what Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens was to the National Football League. Hiawatha was a fierce middle linebacker. He was not a man of peace on the football field.

I was glad for two things. One, Hiawatha was on my team. So, I did not have to stare across the line of scrimmage at him during games.

Two, in practice, I did stare across at him, but as his quarterback, I wore a red jersey, which meant I was off-limits for his vicious hits. But just to be sure, I liked to wear red shirts around him, even in street clothes, to make sure he remembered his manners.

I played with Hiawatha from 1986 to 1990. We played in two Dixie League Conference football championship games, but we lost both. We played games in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida and Illinois, traveling to each on our team bus. Those long rides gave us plenty of time to get to know each other and become friends.

I left semi-pro football in 1990 after a few too many hits to the head. So, 1990 was the last time I had the privilege to be with my friend Hiawatha Scott.

Hiawatha had three sons as I recall. He named them all “Hiawatha” with different middle names.

Life moves on

Roll forward 33 years, and I am a pastor and have been for some 26 years.

A church member who works for the Alief Independent School District visited with me after a church service. He had invited a new coworker to our church. His name was Hiawatha Scott.

When Hiawatha heard I was the pastor, he quickly told our church member we had played ball together, and he’d be in church the following Sunday. I was elated to hear he would be joining us.

Sure enough, the next Sunday there appeared this big ol’ ferocious Hiawatha Scott, trimmed down and with a sweet wife on his arm. What a blessing to be reunited.

Hiawatha and his wife Thelma Lynn Scott became frequent attenders.

The real star

I was at a celebration of their marriage several weeks ago. People stepped forward to tell what this man and woman had meant to their lives. I knew Hiawatha in the past, but I was so proud of the man he had become and how so many acknowledged the same.

The things were shared about Thelma Lynn Scott, however, are what blew me away.

You see Mrs. Scott—“Lynn,” they called her—had worked as a crossing guard for the school for more than 20 years. A crossing guard.

I have been touched in my life by many teachers like Mrs. Robertson and Dr. Cude, some principals like Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Staples, coaches like Coach Schuelke and Coach Fox, bus drivers like Mr. Tooth Akey, and even a few lunchroom ladies like Mrs. Cheek and Mrs. Harwell. But a crossing guard?

What can a crossing guard do to touch your life? They walk you across toward school in the morning. They walk you across the street toward home in the evening. All the while, they hold a stop sign directing traffic. Not much time for chit chat or exposure, I thought. But I was wrong.

She made a profound difference

The vast majority of people who spoke at this celebration were moms who thanked her for protecting their kids and students who grew up knowing of a woman who cared for them, each of them.

A young man said he finally graduated and made something of his life, thanks to the crossing guard named Mrs. Scott.

In her life, she spoke to teachers to help a few of them. She took a few kids into her home from time to time. A crossing guard made the difference in so many lives. And she was my friend Hiawatha Scott’s wife.

I was reminded at that celebration: We can make a difference in people’s lives no matter what our station of life. May we make that kind of difference this week where we live and work—all for the glory of the God who loves us.

Johnny Teague is the senior pastor of Church at the Cross in West Houston and the author of several books, including his newest The Lost Diary of Mary Magdalene. His website is johnnyteague.com. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

In the early days of the invasion of Iraq, a sandstorm arose and created a chain-reaction wreck in a truck convoy. Chad Bales, a 20-year-old Marine from Muleshoe, was driving one of the trucks.

We held his funeral service on a warm Sunday afternoon in April in Benny Douglas Stadium. In attendance were Chad’s friends and classmates. Friends and classmates of his siblings were present. Friends and associates of his parents and grandparents gathered in support.

Muleshoeites and guests to our city were in attendance. There were churchgoers and non-churchgoers. More than 2,000 people sat in the warm sun to pay their respects.

Following the service, a reporter for the NBC affiliate in Lubbock asked: “Why were there so many people in attendance? I have been to several military services in Lubbock, and very few people attended.”

I answered: “When the Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn was diagnosed with cancer, he was asked, ‘Why are you leaving the medical care in the nation’s capital to go home to Bonham, Texas?’ He answered, ‘In Bonham, Texas, people know when you are sick, and they care when you die.’ Muleshoe is the same kind of place.”

The reporter asked, “Who is Sam Rayburn?”

Rural funerals

One of the unique facets of rural ministry is the community emphasis placed upon funerals.

I recognize this comment is anecdotal, but on more than one occasion, a pastor who left rural life for the city has commented: “Our church members may drop by the visitation, but they do not attend funerals. Here, people show up for the funerals.”

Well-prepared funeral services are a reminder the person who has died and the people who loved that person are important.

When speaking to young ministers, I often say: “You can have a bad Sunday. You can miss the mark on a Wednesday Bible study. But you only have one opportunity to bury someone’s mother or father. Be prepared. Tell their stories with respect. Remind them of the promised resurrection for those in Jesus Christ.”

Few things will encourage a family like a reminder their loved one was appreciated by the church and community, and they are in the care of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Funeral meals

In rural life, funeral traditions are ingrained in church culture. Meals provided for the family on the day of the funeral are a feast prepared with love.

Guests often look across the serving table and retell childhood stories of gathering black-eyed peas in a grandparent’s garden. Or their memory is jogged by the sight of a corn casserole. Family members might struggle to remember the last time they tasted a homemade cherry pie, a crust rolled out on a kitchen counter and a filling from a cherry tree in the backyard.

Funeral meals require a great deal of effort, but the effort is given in love.

After being in this community for more than 30 years, I often am asked to perform funerals for members of the community without a church home, or their church is searching for a pastor. After one large meal, I went to the hospitality committee and apologized for generating extra work.

They answered, “Funerals enable us to serve and use our gifts in ways we could not otherwise.”

Funeral priorities

Former District Judge Jack Young told me of a busy summer in his teenage years. Jack’s father formed a quartet frequently asked to sing at funerals. That summer, funerals were frequent, and farming was behind schedule. The weeds were out of control, the wheat needed to be planted, and the equipment required maintenance.

The young Jack said: “We do not have time to sing at another funeral. We are going to lose this crop.”

The elder Young answered, “We are never too busy to bury our friends.”

In rural life, generational connections help to encourage people to remember and honor those who have passed. Family histories often are tied together.

To attend a funeral, a person must take time away from work, leave the tractor to sit idle, reschedule a doctor’s appointment, find child care or make the ultimate sacrifice—change a hair appointment. When you make the effort and give the time to attend a funeral, you are blessing the family.

Ruby’s funeral

Not long ago, First Baptist Church in Muleshoe held a funeral for our oldest member, Ruby Green. Ruby was 104 years old. She could remember the day when Bailey County had no paved roads.

She told stories of the Dust Bowl, raising 200 chickens every three months, and traveling the seven miles to town twice a year. Ruby made decisions based on what was required, not personal happiness.

Ruby drove her car to the Senior Center and First Baptist Church until she was 103 and six months of age. She outlived her friends and many of her family. I buried two of her children.

About 250 people gathered for Ruby’s service. They came for Ruby, and they came for Crispin, Charles and Noreen. People came to laugh, remember, seek comfort and be reminded of the promises of the gospel.

I hope to encourage you to reconsider your approach to time management when it comes to funerals. Please recognize the time you give to attend a funeral is not time lost. You are honoring the deceased and supporting their family.

Do not make your decision to attend or not attend a funeral based on how well you knew the deceased. Instead, make your choice to attend based on what your presence can mean to the family and the church.

Stacy Conner is pastor of First Baptist Church in Muleshoe. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Many retirees—even if admitting only to slowing down to a lower gear—have a difficult time finding rocking chairs that fit.

Some don’t even try. Count me in that group, with entry into my 89th year now but weeks away.

A credo for many is choosing to “wear out” instead of “rust out,” and a sliver of potential retirees insists on the continuance of productivity and a commitment as fulfillment of their biblical obedience to feed the hungry.

One such man is Joshua Potter, an educator who spent 30 years in a teaching and coaching career in Texas high schools.

He’s now involved in the mortgage loan field, but a growing passion is sharing a simple concept about feeding the hungry.

Feeding the hungry body

Josh and Karla, his wife of 36 years and also a retired teacher, have developed a food giveaway method they hope will be duplicated throughout Texas and perhaps beyond. They’re distributing “hungry bags,” kept in their vehicles at all times. Recipients typically are homeless people, hoisting “will-work-for-food” signs at intersections.

“Our ‘Hungry Bag’ initiative is not for everyone,” Josh explains. “An easy ‘out’ is to think these folks to be beggars seeking money for alcohol and/or drugs, and a few likely are. But a high percentage are indeed hungry.”

He went on to say he and Karla have seen hundreds of hungry students wherever they’ve taught across the years—Kemp, Brenham, Angleton, Jacksboro, New Caney and Van—somber evidence the poor are with us always.

Since late last year, the Potters, children Seth and Sarah and their mates, as well as four grandchildren, fill “hungry bags,” a family ministry of food for both body and soul.

Feeding the hungry soul

Their intent is to raise awareness of drastically increasing food deprivation. “How could it be any simpler than handing these folks a brown paper bag that includes Scriptures stapled to the top?”

One reads: “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:6-8).

Inside the bags are small Bibles, a 60-second meal called “Hormel Compleats” and bottled water. The project has been endorsed by fellow worshipers at Van First Baptist Church.

“I’m hoping and praying that retired educators will share this idea with their churches and begin in earnest,” Potter said.

He emphasizes common sense must prevail, and some people may not feel comfortable rolling down their windows to hand out the bags. He mentioned one alternative is to leave bags at vacant intersections. “They will be picked up,” he assured.

Who knows? Maybe entire congregations will see fit to help feed the hungry in this manner. One thing is for sure: They’ll always be with us.

That Josh has focused on this project is no surprise. I knew him and his brother, Jason—also an alumnus of Howard Payne University—during my tenure there as president.

Both “bootstrap pullers,” they were reared during most of their public school years in Cisco by an aunt and uncle. Both were outstanding student athletes, as they were later at HPU. Josh is the kind of Christian leader whose influence meant much to parents whose children were entrusted to his tutelage.

Teaching life first

Josh taught life first, ahead of subject content and football. I could not admire him more.

“Hungry Bags” could be filled and distributed by the tens of thousands, not only by retired educators, but also by others still in the work force. Maybe you should participate, and/or pass the idea along. The field is white already unto harvest.

Don Newbury, retired president of Howard Payne University, writes weekly and speaks regularly. This article is adapted from his regular column, ‘The Idle American.’ Newbury can be contacted via email: newbury@speakerdoc.com; phone: (817) 447-3872; Twitter: @donnewbury and Facebook: Don Newbury. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author. Published by permission.

Like many people, I was disappointed to hear the allegations against Contemporary Christian Music artist Michael Tait, formerly of dc Talk and the Newsboys.

Tait parted ways with the Newsboys in January 2025 without going into much detail as to why, but many have called it the worst kept secret in Nashville.

According to an investigation by the Roys Report, Tait is accused not only of using alcohol and drugs, but also of grooming and sexually assaulting young men.

After the allegations were made public, the fallout began. The Newsboys released their statements acknowledging the rumors but denying firsthand knowledge. Then, K-LOVE, America’s largest Christian radio network, made the decision to remove dc Talk and the Newsboys from their song rotations, at least temporarily.

On June 10, Michael Tait issued a public confession and apology. He confessed: “For some two decades I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and at times touched men in an unwanted, sensual way. I am ashamed of my life choices and actions and make no excuses for them.”

Since his public confession, six more men have come forward with similar allegations, some claiming to be minors when the sexual abuse occurred.

Michael Tait’s influence

I have been a Michael Tait fan since at least 1990. The music of dc Talk and the Newsboys provided the soundtrack for much of my time in youth ministry and beyond. Their music was entertaining and engaging.

However, I would not consider the lyrics of their original songs to be divinely inspired. True, lyrically, the songs are positive, often Christ-centered, and good, sometimes even very good.

But these bands were not worship leaders called and employed by any church or religious body. They were not ordained ministers given the responsibility and accountability of shepherding any flock.

They were entertainers. They were part and parcel of the Contemporary Christian Music industry that made money—a lot of money. These entertainers also made money and saw their fame and influence increase over the decades.

I concede, their music was and is meaningful to me, and my testimony is God used their music in my life in a devotional sense. So, I don’t want to minimize their importance, but I don’t want to overstate their importance either.

What should I think about all this?

As a long-time fan who contributed to the growth and widespread success of the Contemporary Christian Music industry and of artists like Michael Tait, what am I supposed to think about all this?

I know how I feel. That is not my question. I want to know how I am supposed to think and reflect on many issues involved in this situation. The fallout will and should be felt by many. It should be serious. It should cause us to ask tough questions.

I would like to ask some of those questions. Before I do, I want to say I am not here to judge or condemn Michael Tait. I hope his confession is sincere and he gets the help he needs.

I also want to support those who come forward with allegations. People should be allowed to tell their own stories. I want them to feel heard. I want to respond with compassion.

Finally, I do not know what justice should or could look like for Michael Tait and everyone else involved. I do not know what repentance and accountability should look like, nor do I know whether restoration is possible or wise in this case.

Tough questions

At this point, I don’t have good answers, but I want to ask good questions. Here are some I think are worth asking.

1. I feel hurt and profound disappointment, as if what Michael Tait did involved me personally. Why is that? What did he mean or represent to me?

2. For what do I need to forgive Michael Tait?

3. Is it possible I have put Michael Tait and other CCM artists on a pedestal and held them to an unwarranted standard? If so, how did that happen? Did the CCM industry and parachurch organizations that made use of CCM artists encourage this kind of idol worship?

4. Should Michael Tait, dc Talk and the Newsboys be cancelled? Who should do that cancelling? Should I stop listening to their music? Why would I do that? If I applied those standards to all CCM or worship music, how many more singers, songwriters and worship leaders would I need to cancel on moral, ethical or scriptural grounds?

5. If a Christian songwriter/singer/artist has a moral failure of some kind or has less than ideal character, but the art he or she has produced is profoundly beautiful and useful in the work of the church or parachurch organizations, would it still be acceptable to make use of the art? Do the ends justify the means?

I haven’t seen anything where Michael Tait has come out of the closet as gay. But, if he does, and if he says he always has been gay, is it possible Michael was victimized by a CCM industry that likely knew he was gay but used him anyway to make money—for a very long time?

Reconsidering my role

As I said, I am still reflecting and praying over these things and don’t have good answers right now. I do think the time has come for me to reconsider my relationship as a Christian consumer to those who sell me Christian entertainment, including worship music. Like it or not, I may be part of the problem. Now, I should allow myself to face the music.

Scott Jones is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockport and a member of the Baptist Standard board of directors. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.